Kibbeh - Lebanon

Fried Kibbeh with Mint

Kibbeh or kibbe (also kubbeh) is an Arab dish made of bulgur or rice and chopped meat. The best-known variety is a torpedo-shaped fried croquette stuffed with minced beef or lamb. Other types of kibbeh may be shaped into balls or patties, and baked or cooked in broth.

Kibbeh is a popular dish in Levantine cuisine. It is widespread in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Egypt (where it is called koubeiba), Israel, the Palestinian Territories, the Arabian Peninsula, and several Latin American nations which received part of the Syrian and Lebanese diaspora during the early 20th century, such as Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Haiti, Honduras or Mexico.

Kibbeh is probably best known as a 7-to-15-cm oblong bulgur shell, stuffed with a filling of spiced, minced lamb and fried until brown. British soldiers in the Middle East during the Second World War used to call these kibbeh "Syrian torpedoes".

In Levantine cuisine, a variety of dishes made with bulgur and minced lamb are called kibbeh. The northern Syrian city of Aleppo (Halab) is famous for having more than 17 different types. These include kibbeh prepared with sumac, yogurt, quince, lemon juice, pomegranate sauce, cherry sauce, and other varieties, such as the "disk kibbeh, the plate kibbeh and the raw kibbeh (the latter has become somewhat notorious because of its perceived implication in toxoplasmosis transmission.

Kubbat Halab is an Iraqi version of kibbeh made with a rice crust and named after Aleppo. Kubbat Mosul, also Iraqi, is flat and round like a disc. Kubbat Shorba is an Iraqi-Kurdish version made as a stew, usually with tomato sauce and spices. Steak tartare is popular in Lebanon. It is often accompanied by arak and various salads. Kibbeh is sometimes served with a sesame seed tahina dip.

Fried, torpedo-shaped kibbehs have become popular in Haiti, Dominican Republic[9] and South America - where they are known as quipe or quibbe - after they were introduced by Lebanese and Palestinian immigrants.
Kubbeh matfuniya

Kibbeh nayyeh (also kibbee, kubba, kebbeh, kebbi)  is frequently served as part of a meze in Lebanon, garnished with mint leaves and olive oil, and served raw with green peppers, scallions and pita.

Kibbeh can also be a mixture of chopped meat (lamb or beef), burghul, onion, mint and spices pressed into a flat baking pan. Then it is scored with a knife into diamond shapes about one or two inches in length, topped with pine nuts or almond slivers and butter, then baked in the oven until done.

Kubbeh matfuniya and kubbeh hamusta are staples of Iraqi-Jewish cooking in Israel.Kubbeh soup, served in many oriental grill restaurants in Israel, is described as a rich broth with meat-stuffed dumplings and vegetables.

Kibbeh can also be eaten raw; raw kibbeh nayyeh is mostly made of lamb meat

Ingredients

    * 1/2 cup bulgur
    * 1/2 lb lamb
    * 1 cup finely chopped red onion
    * 1/2 tsp ground allspice (pimento)
    * 1/2 tsp ground oregano
    * 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
    * salt for taste
    * 1 tbsp olive oil
    * vegetable oil for shallow frying
    * Filling
          o 1 tbsp olive oil
          o 1/2 cup ground lamb
          o 1/4 cup chopped onions
          o 1/2 tbsp pine nuts
          o 1/2 tbsp silvered almonds
          o 1/4 tsp allspice
          o 1/4 tsp oregano
          o 1/2 tbsp finely chopped mint leaves
          o 1/2 tbsp pepper
          o salt for taste

Method

Place bulgur in a bowl and pour cold water to cover. Keep for about 15 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water, and squeeze well to remove the moisture.

Make the Filling: – Heat oil in a small frying pan, add the onions and cook till soft, add the pine nuts and almonds and cook till they start to brown. Add the spice powders, salt and ground lamb and cook till the meat is cooked through. Remove from the stove and stir in the mint leaves and keep aside.

Add the bulgur, ground lamb, chopped onions, olive oil and the spices to a large bowl and mix well to combine. Add a little water if necessary.

Shape the mixture into equal sized balls, this will make about 8 balls. Insert your thumb to make a hollow space in the ball, place the filling in the hollow and flatten out the balls and shape into ovals so that the filling is completely covered.

Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan and shallow fry the Kibbeh balls till all the sides are browned and the meat is cooked through.

Recipe adapted from Australian Women’s Weekly Lebanese Cooking.
http://blog.sigsiv.com/2007/03/fried-kibbeh-balls-lebanese-cuisine.html